Latest On Julius Randle, Lakers
While the Lakers have had a busy start to free agency, they have yet to extend a contract offer to Julius Randle, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That may change soon, however.
According to Charania, Randle’s representatives are expected to speak with the Lakers on Monday, and the big man’s camp is hopeful about receiving an offer from the team. The restricted free agent is excited about LeBron James‘ impending arrival in Los Angeles, Charania adds.
In addition to securing a commitment from James, the Lakers have also agreed to deals with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee, and Lance Stephenson. As we detailed this morning, the terms of those agreements suggest that the Lakers will retain their cap hold for Randle, which allows the club to go over the cap to re-sign him.
While it’s still possible that the Lakers will renounce Randle or that he’ll sign an offer sheet with another team, it makes sense for the two sides to negotiate directly as long as he remains a restricted free agent to see if they can find common ground. As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link), it will be interesting to see if Randle is willing to consider a big-money, one-year deal that would allow the Lakers to maximize their 2019 flexibility.
Randle, who ranked eighth on our list of 2018’s top 50 free agents, enjoyed the best season of his four-year NBA career in 2017/18, finishing the year strong after entering the starting lineup in late December. The 23-year-old averaged 18.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, and a .560 FG% in his 49 starts.
Hornets Sign J.P. Macura To Two-Way Deal
JULY 2: The Hornets have officially signed Macura to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.
JUNE 23: Former Xavier wing J.P. Macura will sign a two-way contract with the Hornets for the 2018/19 season, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Macura, whose deal can’t be finalized until the new NBA league year begins, went undrafted on Thursday night.
As a senior with the Musketeers in 2017/18, Macura averaged 12.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.9 APG with a shooting line of .479/.377/.821. Givony, who had Macura ranked 84th on his big board, describes the youngster as a “tough, high-IQ shot maker with a ton of game.”
The Hornets were one of several teams to work out Macura during the pre-draft process, along with the Suns, Grizzlies, and Spurs.
After carrying Marcus Paige and Mangok Mathiang on two-way deals in 2017/18, Charlotte appears poised to give Macura one of those two slots. According to Basketball Insiders’ data, Mathiang’s agreement spans two years, so Macura seems more likely to take Paige’s spot. Teams can only carry two players on two-way contracts at a time during the regular season, along with 15 players on standard NBA deals.
New York Notes: Harris, Davis, Nets, Hezonja
Before he agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with the Nets, free agent sharpshooter Joe Harris fielded competitive offers from rival suitors. However, he tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic that his priority was remaining in Brooklyn.
“I had some offers for longer-term deals, but ultimately from the get-go, I had basically said that I wanted to stay in Brooklyn and however we could come to an agreement on that,” Harris said.
Meanwhile, the Nets’ other noteworthy July 1 move involved reaching a contract agreement with Ed Davis, who will ink a one-year, $4.4MM contract with the club. According to Scotto, Davis received interest from the Warriors, Sixers, Thunder, and Trail Blazers before striking a deal with the Nets.
Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The Nets are not actively shopping anyone on their roster in trade talks, a league source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That includes Jeremy Lin, who has a $12.5MM expiring contract in 2018/19 and will be part of a point guard rotation that also includes Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell.
- Within his report on Mario Hezonja‘s agreement with the Knicks, Marc Berman of The New York Post notes that the forward chose New York over seven other teams, including the runner-up Trail Blazers. “The main reason is David Fizdale. He sold him,” a source told Berman. “The goal is to be here long term and finish his career. He was a fan of the team growing up.” Hezonja’s deal significantly reduces the odds of Michael Beasley returning to the Knicks, Berman adds.
- Nets restricted free agent Milton Doyle has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and an Eastern Conference team, among others, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). A two-way player last year, Doyle could sign an offer sheet with another club, but Brooklyn would have the chance to match it.
Pacers Guarantee Darren Collison’s 2018/19 Salary
JULY 2: The Pacers have guaranteed Collison’s $10MM salary for the 2018/19 season, a source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Indiana also guaranteed Bogdanovic’s ’18/19 salary last week.
JUNE 21: The Pacers are expected to bring back Darren Collison and guarantee his $10MM contract for next season, tweets Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. Collison only has a $2MM partial guarantee for now, but will be in line for his full salary if Indiana doesn’t waive him before July 1.
“Everything is so fluid but at the end of the day, we said our top six, seven guys we wanted to have back. And then make additions,” said president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.
Collison turned in a steady performance during his first season in Indiana, appearing in 69 games and posting a 12.4/2.6/5.3 line. The nine-year veteran signed with the Pacers as a free agent last summer.
Indiana still has to address partially guaranteed contracts for Bojan Bogdanovic ($10.5MM) and Al Jefferson ($10MM). Bogdanovic has a $1.5MM guarantee, while Jefferson’s is $4MM. Alex Poythress ($1,544,951) and Ike Anigbogu ($690,000 guaranteed out of $1,378,242) have smaller non-guaranteed deals.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hornets Sign Miles Bridges To Rookie Contract
The Hornets have signed first-round pick Miles Bridges to his four-year rookie scale contract, a league source tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal will feature two guaranteed years, with team options for years three and four.
Bridges, who was selected with the No. 12 pick, was part of a draft-night trade. The Clippers technically drafted Bridges, sending his draft rights and two second-round picks to Charlotte in exchange for the draft rights to No. 11 pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Bridges is coming off a sophomore season at Michigan State in which he averaged 17.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 2.7 APG with a shooting line of .457/.364/.853. He could potentially handle either forward position at the NBA level.
Assuming he signs for the full 120% of the rookie scale for the No. 12 pick, Bridges will earn a first-year salary of $3.2MM. He’ll be extension-eligible in 2021 and eligible for restricted free agency in 2022.
30 Of Hoops Rumors’ Top 50 FAs Still Available
Over 30 NBA contract agreements were completed during the first day of 2018’s free agent period, as all five of Hoops Rumors’ top five free agents of 2018 – LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Paul George, and Chris Paul – came off the board.
However, despite the early flurry of action, there are still plenty of interesting names on the market. Out of our top 50 free agents, 30 have yet to commit to a team for 2018/19.
Here’s the complete list of our top 50 free agents who haven’t agreed to a deal:
- Clint Capela, C, Rockets (RFA)
- DeMarcus Cousins, C, Pelicans
- Julius Randle, F/C, Lakers (RFA)
- Jabari Parker, F, Bucks (RFA)
- Zach LaVine, G, Bulls (RFA)
- Tyreke Evans, G, Grizzlies
- Marcus Smart, G, Celtics (RFA)
- Jusuf Nurkic, C, Trail Blazers (RFA)
- J.J. Redick, G, Sixers
- Rajon Rondo, G, Pelicans
- Derrick Favors, F/C, Jazz
- Isaiah Thomas, G, Lakers
- Rodney Hood, G, Cavaliers (RFA)
- Avery Bradley, G, Clippers
- Brook Lopez, C, Lakers
- Kyle Anderson, F, Spurs (RFA)
- Wayne Ellington, G, Heat
- Nerlens Noel, C, Mavericks
- Montrezl Harrell, C, Clippers (RFA)
- Kyle O’Quinn, C, Knicks
- Dwyane Wade, G, Heat
- Dante Exum, G, Jazz (RFA)
- Luc Mbah a Moute, F, Rockets
- David Nwaba, G, Bulls (RFA)
- Anthony Tolliver, F, Pistons
- Tony Parker, G, Spurs
- Nemanja Bjelica, F, Timberwolves (RFA)
- Amir Johnson, F/C, Sixers
- Michael Beasley, F, Knicks
- Jeff Green, F, Cavaliers
Be sure to check out our full top-50 list for breakdowns on all 30 unsigned players. Our 2018 free agent tracker has details on the contract agreements for the other 20, along with the rest of the free agents who have already reached deals.
Pelicans Sign Elfrid Payton
JULY 8, 6:57pm: The Pelicans have officially signed Payton, according to the NBA’s transactions log. With Julius Randle taking up New Orleans’ mid-level exception, the team is expected to use its bi-annual exception on Payton.
JULY 2, 9:30am: Payton’s one-year deal with the Pelicans will pay him $2.7MM, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link) first reported that it would be worth more than the minimum, but less than the bi-annual exception ($3.382MM).
JULY 1, 9:57pm: The Pelicans have reached an agreement on a deal with point guard Elfrid Payton, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), who reports that it’ll be a one-year contract. Payton, who didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Suns, had been an unrestricted free agent.
Payton, 24, spent the first three and a half seasons of his NBA career in Orlando before being sent to Phoenix in a midseason trade earlier this year. In 19 games with the Suns, the former 10th overall pick averaged 11.8 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 5.3 RPG, numbers that were about in line with his career averages.
While Payton has the ability to fill up the stat sheet on a given night, his shooting and defensive shortcomings have limited his impact throughout his four-year NBA career. During his time in Phoenix, he shot just .435/.200/.685, and the team had a 115.7 defensive rating when he played (108.9 when he sat). He fell out of the Suns’ rotation by the end of the season.
Still, the Pelicans will look to unlock Payton’s full potential, adding him to a backcourt that features Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, and Frank Jackson. New Orleans also has interest in re-signing free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, and remains hopeful of bringing him back into the fold even after reaching a deal with Payton, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Payton’s deal with the Pelicans represents a homecoming for the 6’4″ guard, who was born in Gretna, Louisiana and played his college ball at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Leonard, Roster, Outlook
While he didn’t play a part in revealing LeBron James‘ new home this time around, Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated has penned another excellent piece on LeBron’s latest decision. According to Jenkins, James initially narrowed down his preferred landing spots to the Lakers, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Rockets, instructing agent Rich Paul to research those organizations and give him feedback when he returned from a June vacation.
While the Rockets became a long shot after James opted out of his previous contract, the four-time MVP planned communications with the Cavaliers and Sixers at the start of free agency. The Lakers were his primary focus though, according to Jenkins, who notes that LeBron spoke to Kobe Bryant on the phone before meeting with Magic Johnson on Saturday night.
As Jenkins details, despite speculation that a second star like Kawhi Leonard or Paul George might be required to lure James to the Lakers, the future Hall-of-Famer had no problem being “the first headliner through the door.” Per Jenkins, LeBron believes that the Lakers have the recruiters, assets, and cap space necessary to build a lasting contender.
Here’s more on the Lakers’ and LeBron’s arrival:
- Although he was strongly considering the Lakers before sitting down with Johnson on Saturday night, James wanted to meet face-to-face and see if he and the Lakers’ president of basketball operations could “find a trust” before he made a final decision, sources tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times has more details on that Saturday meeting between the former and future Lakers stars.
- The Lakers‘ status as an iconic franchise and the ability to live full time in Los Angeles with his family were important factors in James’ decision, two people with knowledge of the situation tell Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt also notes that the Sixers worked hard to trade for Leonard as a selling point while recruiting James, but never made serious traction with the Spurs.
- Kevin O’Connor latest article for The Ringer cites multiple league sources who say that the Lakers‘ offers for Leonard have been “underwhelming.” However, O’Connor acknowledges that could change now that the team has secured a commitment from James. A package that sends Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle (via sign-and-trade), multiple first-round picks, and possibly Josh Hart to the Spurs could work, in the view of O’Connor’s sources.
- James’ business and basketball worlds will come together in Los Angeles, as Sam Amick of USA Today details in his piece on LeBron’s decision.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com takes a closer look at how good the Lakers can be with their current roster and how they can become legit title contenders.
- We examined the Lakers‘ cap situation for 2018/19 earlier today.
Breaking Down Lakers’ 2018/19 Cap Situation
The Lakers‘ 2018/19 salary cap outlook has been a subject of much speculation in the days, weeks, and months leading up to 2018’s free agent period, and it continues to be an area of particular interest for NBA fans now that the team has reached agreements to sign LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee.
Do the Lakers still have cap room available? Can they keep Julius Randle and sign another free agent? If they let Randle walk, could they realistically make a play for a star free agent like DeMarcus Cousins?
Before Monday’s news cycle gains momentum, we want to take a quick look at those questions, breaking down what the Lakers can and can’t do with their remaining cap room.
First, let’s take a closer look at the commitments already on the Lakers’ books. Listed below are the contracts and contract agreements that will eat into the team’s cap room. Tentative salaries for free agents are listed in green, while cap holds are noted in blue. Stephenson’s and McGee’s deals aren’t listed because – based on reported terms – they can be completed using exceptions after the Lakers have used all their cap room.
Here’s the breakdown:
| Player | Salary |
|---|---|
| LeBron James | $35,654,150 |
| Luol Deng | $18,000,000 |
| Julius Randle | $12,447,727 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | $12,000,000 |
| Lonzo Ball | $7,461,960 |
| Brandon Ingram | $5,757,120 |
| Moritz Wagner | $1,762,080 * |
| Kyle Kuzma | $1,689,840 |
| Josh Hart | $1,655,160 |
| Ivica Zubac | $1,544,951 |
| Incomplete roster charge | $838,464 |
| Incomplete roster charge | $838,464 |
| Total | $99,649,916 |
* Note: There are ever-so-slightly conflicting figures out there for Wagner’s rookie scale amount. Our figure is based on RealGM’s rookie scale data.
With a salary cap of $101,869,000 for the 2018/19 season, the Lakers currently only have about $2.2MM in space. That’s not enough meaningful room to use on a veteran player, but it gives them some flexibility to sign their second-round picks (Isaac Bonga and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk) or undrafted free agents to contracts with a longer term than two years, which could be useful.
It’s possible that the Lakers will simply use that leftover space on smaller deals, go over the cap to re-sign Randle using his Bird rights, and fill out their roster with the $4.449MM room exception (earmarked for Stephenson) and minimum-salary deals. Doing so would allow the club to maximize its flexibility for future seasons, depending on the terms of Randle’s new deal.
However, if the Lakers want to create space to make a run at another free agent, there are viable paths to doing so. Here are a few scenarios:
- Waiving and stretching Deng: $12.02MM in total cap room.
- Renouncing Randle: $13.83MM in total cap room.
- Trading Deng without taking back any salary: $19.38MM in total cap room.
- Waiving and stretching Deng and renouncing Randle: $23.63MM in total cap room.
- Trading Deng without taking back any salary and renouncing Randle: $30.99MM in cap room.
In other words, there are still ways for the Lakers to create significant cap space. However, trading Deng would likely involve attaching multiple young players and/or draft picks to him. Those are pieces the Lakers would prefer to keep or use in a deal for an impact player, so the club may hold off on such a move.
Meanwhile, there aren’t many free agents out there who are better bets than Randle, so the Lakers may prioritize working out a new deal with their own restricted free agent rather than making multiple roster moves to pursue an outside target.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA 2018 Free Agency: July 1 Recap
With cap space around the NBA expected to be scarce this offseason, a number of free agents decided not to wait around for better offers and reached agreements quickly when the 2018/19 league year officially got underway on July 1. The result was an action-packed day that saw many of our top 50 free agents of 2018 come off the board.
For the most part, these deals aren’t yet official, so the reported terms could change — or agreements could fall through altogether. Generally speaking though, teams and players are on track to finalize these contract agreements sometime after the July moratorium ends on Friday.
Here’s our breakdown of July 1’s notable NBA contract agreements:
- Chris Paul, Rockets agree to four-year, maximum salary contract ($159.73MM).
- LeBron James, Lakers agree to four-year, maximum salary contract ($153.31MM).
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets agree to five-year, maximum salary contract ($147.71MM).
- Paul George, Thunder agree to four-year, maximum salary contract ($136.91MM).
- Aaron Gordon, Magic agree to four-year, $84MM contract.
- Kevin Durant, Warriors agree to two-year, $61.5MM contract.
- Will Barton, Nuggets agree to four-year, $54MM contract.
- Jerami Grant, Thunder agree to three-year, $27MM contract.
- DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks agree to one-year contract said to be worth slightly less than his $24.1MM option.
- Doug McDermott, Pacers agree to three-year, $22MM contract.
- Ersan Ilyasova, Bucks agree to three-year, $21MM contract.
- Fred VanVleet, Raptors agree to two-year, $18MM contract.
- Joe Harris, Nets agree to two-year, $16MM contract.
- Trevor Ariza, Suns agree to one-year, $15MM contract.
- Marco Belinelli, Spurs agree to two-year, $12MM contract.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers agree to one-year, $12MM contract.
- Aron Baynes, Celtics agree to two-year, $10.65MM contract.
- Rudy Gay, Spurs agree to one-year, $10MM contract.
- Glenn Robinson III, Pistons agree to two-year, $8.3MM contract.
- Mario Hezonja, Knicks agree to one-year, $6.5MM contract.
- Lance Stephenson, Lakers agree to one-year, $4.45MM contract.
- Ed Davis, Nets agree to one-year, $4.4MM contract.
- Elfrid Payton, Pelicans agree to one-year, $2.7MM contract.
- Luke Kornet, Knicks agree to one-year, $1.62MM contract.
- Derrick Jones, Heat sign a two-year, minimum salary contract.
- Omri Casspi, Grizzlies agree to one-year, minimum salary contract.
- Gerald Green, Rockets agree to one-year, minimum salary contract.
- JaVale McGee, Lakers agree to one-year, minimum salary contract.
- Salah Mejri, Mavericks agree to one-year, minimum salary contract.
- Derrick Rose, Timberwolves agree to one-year, minimum salary contract.
- Nik Stauskas, Trail Blazers agree to one-year, minimum salary contract.
Be sure to use our 2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker to keep tabs on all of this summer’s contract agreements. Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team show which players are still available.